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On water…Dr. B (as Tony refers to) the Author of Your Body’s Many Cries for Water (I highly recommend – my dad and sister first told me about it years ago!) has a foundation called www.thewatercure.com. His foundation was a great supporter of my natural health magazine in the UK and we worked together on bringing his books there and they provided advertising and articles regularly. I was not fortunate enough to know Dr B. when he was alive so it is inspiring to see his foundation sharing and continuing his work. See the website above for GREAT articles of the WHY water is good for you and to get the book!

Another thing I learned in school from Dr. John Douillard (I so love him), an Ayervedic doctor, is to do an experiment with yourself. Sip hot water daily every 10 minutes for two weeks. 1. it gets your lymphatic system moving and draining as it should and 2. it will tell you immediately if you are dehydrated as you will start to want to drink more water. MOST everyone today does NOT get enough water. And in fact, it can actually show up internally where your joints and connective tissue start to get dehydrated as well. Showing up as aches and pains that we often explain away in the form of “age” or “overuse”. Really, over time, a lot of that can be prevented with proper hydration.

Think of your mornings and afternoons. If you need coffee, sugar, snacks, and extra food to get you through your daily slumps, just know that you could try water first and see if that helps. Before your morning cup of coffee, which is the first thing people drink these days, reach for a clean glass of water and wait for 30 minutes before doing the coffee. Before long you will find yourself drinking less coffee or not even needing it. If you’re hungry for a snack – try drinking a glass of water before taking the snack. (even if it’s a piece of candy!) 9 times out of 10 you will curb that hunger as we often mistake hunger pains for a need for food rather than water!

Our consumption of anything BUT water is so off the charts high these days that we are literally aging ourselves to death. Take the water challenge this week and before you reach for the bottle, can, or cup of anything but H2O, make a conscious effort to do the water first and see if you feel:

What do you c-c-c-crave? Coffee? Chips? Chocolate? Whatever it is, did you know that most people associate cravings with GUILT? Think about it. What is your craving? The indulgent, “so good yet so bad for you” food that you Must. Have. Right. Now., right? While many times it is an addiction to foods (yes, that’s right), this article will help you to rethink what that really means and hopefully educate you to look at (and tackle) cravings in a new light.

The Terrible Two

Let’s start with the most common craves that we can all relate to. Caffeine and Sugar. These two are known as the terrible two only when they have overcome your life and rid you of all common sense when it comes to your health and well being. Without thinking, you automatically NEED to start your day with coffee or you “won’t be able to function.” You HAVE to drink at least an entire pot or you “will not be able to make it through the day.” Oh, and don’t forget the sugar rush that helps you to feel happy in the morning and stay awake as you head to the home stretch of your workday. (You know, right around 3PM or so?)

These days, sugary, caffeinated drinks and snacks come in all shapes and sizes that include loads of chemicals on top of the addictive stimulants. It has even become commonplace to practically live on them! The cool can or packs are a sign of fitting in and acceptance for the kids while the adults and their magical hot cup with the ribbed cardboard around it signify POWAH…the power to make it through the day, to think, and for some, to be able to get their bodies moving!

Re-Thinking Your Cravings: Can cravings be good for you? You bet. Cravings are your body’s way of triggering your brain to respond to a need. For instance, if you are craving crunchy, salty, foods (like chips, for instance) your body may really be asking you for some much needed minerals. If you NEED to have your morning coffee in order to function, your body may be asking for proper rest or time to de-stress. When you can’t live without sweets, your body could be longing for the joy (or sweetness) in life.

It is important to understand your health from the inside out and to confront those things that you feel are out of control or that have a stronger hold on you than you’d like or even realize. Balancing meals and lifestyle choices are a key factor in curbing craves. A need for sugar can sometimes be easily curbed with the addition of more sweet root vegetables, beans and legumes and some time to stop and smell the flowers in life. It may also be a longing for some alone time to be creative, dream, and live life to the fullest or scheduling time with your spouse, children, family, and friends. Bringing about moments of pleasure that feed the deepest part of you instead of instantly gratifying the need for outside stimulation. After awhile, you reconnect with your innate intelligence and become aware of how your cravings are actually on your side. Telling you everything you need to know and certainly supporting you in living more happy, healthy, and whole!